The invention relates to a cover device for a retaining jaws module that can be detachably coupled to a striker plate module, which is arranged on the lock side on the vehicle door of the vehicle body.
A cover device of the generic type is known from DE 10 2012 011 420 A 1.
The coupling device of a vehicle known from DE 10 2012 011 420 A1 for detachable connection of a pivotally supported body panel, particularly a vehicle door, tailgate or front flap to a structural part of the vehicle, includes a first coupling element as striker plate module having two locking wedges with wedge surfaces that are supported so as to be displaceable parallel relative to each other, and a second coupling element as retaining jaws module, interacting with the first coupling element, wherein in a coupled state of the coupling device, the striker plate module and the retaining jaws module are coupled clearance-free via abutting wedge surfaces. The retaining jaws module has two retaining jaws having wedge grooves that have wedge faces, with the striker plate module being received between the two retaining jaws, in that a motor driven drive device, moves the locking wedges apart whereby the locking wedges are pushed with their wedge faces into the wedge grooves and brought into contact with the wedge faces of the wedge grooves.
This coupling device allows an effective form fit with the retaining jaws of the retaining jaws module by using only two locking wedges, namely in all directions that lie in the plane perpendicular to the locking wedges, both in longitudinal direction of the vehicle (x-direction) as well as in vertical direction of the vehicle (z-direction). A strong friction fit is achieved in the direction in which the locking wedges are moved into the wedge grooves of the retaining jaws. This may be improved by arranging so called locking noses on the locking wedges for a form fit in y-direction.
Furthermore, DE 10 201.2 011 420 A1 describes a retaining jaws module, in which the two retaining jaws can be bridged by a movable or displaceable cover in order to prevent ingress of dirt into this strike plate module. However, improvement is needed with regard to the visual appearance of this strike plate module when the vehicle door is open as well as with regard to protection against injury, because this retaining jaws module, particularly its retaining jaws, has corners and edges, which may cause injuries to vehicle passengers during entering and exiting. Additionally, it has to be prevented that a passenger's clothing becomes trapped during entering and exiting.
Moreover, the mounting of such a retaining jaws module on a side wall frame of a vehicle body also has still not been resolved satisfactorily because high tolerances in every spatial direction have to be compensated between the side wall frame and the inside door panel of the vehicle door on which the striker plate module is fastened, since otherwise a reliable coupling of the striker plate module and the retaining jaws module is not ensured, and in particular retracting the striker plate module into the retaining jaws module is already not possible upon closing the vehicle door.